This disclosure relates to a technology of providing virtual reality, and more specifically, to a technology of reducing visually induced motion sickness in virtual reality.
There is known a technology of providing virtual reality with use of a head-mounted device (HMD). When virtual reality is provided, visually induced motion sickness called virtual reality (VR) sickness may be caused. Therefore, a technology of reducing this VR sickness improves a VR experience.
Regarding a technology of reducing VR sickness, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 5869177, there is described a technology of “generating an image while suppressing the amount of information to be visually recognized by a wearer of a head-mounted display when a visual-field image of a virtual space to which a user is immersed is provided to the HMD” (see [Abstract]).
In WO 2015/068656 A1, there is described a technology of “generating an image to be displayed on a head-mounted display by using information on a position and a rotation acquired at a given time, and correcting the generated image by using information on the position and rotation updated at a separate time” (see [Abstract]).
One cause of VR sickness is said to be the occurrence of a difference between a sense expected by the user based on a memory actually experienced by the user and the sense actually obtained in the virtual space (sensory conflict theory). As a result, VR sickness tends to particularly occur when a field of view of the user in the virtual space is moved. Therefore, there has been proposed a technology of suppressing VR sickness by instantaneously moving the field of view of the user to his or her intended destination in order to prevent the user from recognizing a movement process.
However, a method of instantaneously moving the field of view of the user to his or her intended destination involves movements that would be impossible in a real space, and as a result, a sense of immersion of the user in the virtual space is reduced. Therefore, a technology for suppressing VR sickness (visually induced motion sickness) when providing a virtual space, while ensuring the sense of immersion of the user in the virtual space would improve the VR experience.